1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical toys exhibiting realistic actions and functions. More particularly, the invention relates to a realistic electro-mechanical toy that can simulate lifelike purring and other vibratory sensations of animals and other creatures by transmission of vibrations to the body of the mechanical toy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many sectors of the toy industry have responded to consumer demands for more realistic toys and games with enhanced capabilities by utilizing technological advancements to make toys and games more realistic and lifelike.
Consumer driven evolutions in the industry are found in toys embodied as creatures, animals, dolls and various other life forms real or imagined. For example, dolls can now speak, walk, and even roller skate, exhibiting movements and actions more realistic and lifelike than anyone could have imagined even ten years ago.
To provide a more realistic and interactive doll or toy, a cost-technology trade off becomes important. As is known, new technologies cannot typically be implemented to meet customer demands because of other constraints played on the industry by consumers. One of the most important constraints is cost. Therefore, even though technologies may exist to meet consumer demands, those technologies cannot be applied to this industry until they have adapted in such a way as to be more cost effective. To this end, the toy industry has employed relatively inexpensive motors and linkage assemblies to provide realistic mechanical dolls and toys. However, although such dolls may provide some realistic movable body parts, the dolls do not exhibit realistic sensations or functions which would provide an enhanced and lifelike interaction with a user.
An attempt to increase the realism of a doll or toys' functions focused on simulating a heartbeat, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,132 to Elwell for “Heartbeat Simulating Mechanism for Dolls” issued Jan. 17, 1967, disclosing a mechanism for producing a pattern of intermittent vibratory sounds. Elwell discloses a radially extending disc carrying four radially projecting pairs of fingers mounted on an operating shaft and in contact with a rigid stud upstanding from a heart chamber. Upon rotation of the operating shaft, contact between the stud and each finger results in a visible shock wave extending over the heart chamber and producing simulated auricle and ventricle sounds.
The Elwell mechanism does not disclose an arm coupled to a body and biased against a cam including one or more protuberances on a surface perimeter, or alternatively, a cam including an elliptical surface perimeter. Elwell does not suggest a realistic electro-mechanical toy that can replicate lifelike purring and other vibratory sensations of animals and other creatures by transmission of vibrations to the body of the mechanical toy.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for a mechanism to replicate lifelike vibratory sensations and functions of toys, animals and other creatures to provide an enhanced lifelike and realistic interaction with the user.